Don’t Get Charged With a DUI or ASSAULT DURING THE HOLIDAYS

Don’t Get Charged With a DUI or ASSAULT DURING THE HOLIDAYS

Holiday celebrations can be joyful occasions, yet they also represent one of the most dangerous times to drive. Every year from Thanksgiving through New Year, hundreds of lives are lost due to drunk drivers on our roadways.

Law enforcement officials typically increase patrols and set up sobriety checkpoints during the holiday season. If you plan on drinking alcohol, always designate a driver or use rideshare apps like Uber or Lyft as rideshare options for an enjoyable drinking experience.

1. Don’t Drink and Drive

The holidays are an opportunity to gather with family, friends, and coworkers; often these gatherings involve alcohol consumption. If you plan on driving during these festivities, please be mindful that drinking and driving are both dangerous and illegal activities.

Drunk driving claims over 10,000 lives annually in the US. With holiday drinking increasing exponentially this season, it’s essential that a plan be put in place in order to avoid getting behind the wheel when intoxicated.

At any other time of year, drunk drivers are more likely to cause accidents during the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day due to increased alcohol consumption at office parties, holiday dinners and New Year’s Eve parties. Winter weather adds another level of difficulty for drivers trying to navigate snowy or icy roads.

If you know of anyone tempted to get behind the wheel while under the influence, offer them a ride home or arrange a taxi service. Also if someone attempts to drive while impaired, call 911 immediately as this could save their life as well as possibly yours – plus an DUI conviction can have devastating effects on insurance premiums which will only continue rising from thereon out.

2. Designated Driver

Intoxicated driving accounts for 28% of traffic fatalities annually and this risk increases during holiday celebrations. Therefore, it is imperative that you appoint a sober driver who will transport your vehicle home at the end of each night of partying in order to reduce the chances of receiving a DUI charge on their record.

The “Designated Driver Campaign” was introduced in 1988 as a means of increasing visibility of anti-drunk driving initiatives such as MADD. While MADD had successfully built support amongst citizens for strict drunk-driving laws, their campaigns had begun losing steam by the mid 1980s. This ad campaign proved effective at increasing public understanding and awareness about designated driver concepts; its messages could easily be integrated into movie scripts without impacting character development or story lines.

For optimal performance, the ideal designated driver is someone you trust who won’t succumb to champagne toasts or peer pressure to join in on the fun. Even one drink can put your blood alcohol content (BAC) over the legal limit and impair your ability to drive safely; don’t rely on someone who may or may not remain sober as your DD.

3. Stay Sober

From Thanksgiving through New Year, holidays can be an especially difficult time to maintain sobriety. Therefore, it is vital to take extra precautions during this period to protect your sobriety and avoid temptations during this festive time of year.

The holiday season can be an excellent opportunity to build up a strong support system. Attending meetings, calling your sponsor regularly or participating in group events that do not include drinking can help keep you grounded and focused on reaching your sobriety goals.

Police often set up DUI checkpoints during the holidays to make sure no one is driving under the influence. A designated driver can be an invaluable way of staying sober and safe during this period, and carpooling to events where alcohol may be served could also prove useful.

When confronted by situations that exacerbate cravings for alcohol, remember why you chose sobriety and remind yourself why the effort will pay off in the end. Staying busy by volunteering, helping out a neighbor, welcoming a new member into your recovery community or spending time with an elderly relative can keep self-pity and fear from leading you into relapse. Bringing along another sober friend may also prove useful at parties or social gatherings where drinking may feel awkward or intimidating.

4. Avoid Drinking and Driving

At Christmas and New Year’s Day parties, people celebrate by gathering with family and friends, visiting places they haven’t been, traveling between destinations, drinking at social functions and after work functions, and traveling more frequently than normal – activities which combine with increased drinking at social functions to cause drunk driving accidents – national statistics reveal an exponential increase in alcohol-impaired driving accidents between Christmas and New Year’s Day!

Tragically, many people die each year from drunk-driving accidents during the holidays. All these accidents are preventable – there are steps you can take to help reduce this number during this holiday season.

At holiday parties and gatherings, it’s essential that people avoid drinking and driving. To do this safely, designate a driver in advance or arrange for taxi or rideshare services such as Lyft. When hosting, serve nonalcoholic refreshments only – providing guests with the number for taxi service as soon as they depart after the party is finished can help ease transition back home afterward. In case of seeing anyone driving impaired call 911 right away with information like their location, description and license plate number to report them immediately.